OK, enough with the "What machines in OH-02" and such threads.

[skids]

(I don't mean to single out the poster of the most recent such thread.)

...or the "will they steal it?" threads.

...or the "are they exit polling?" threads.

There's been like 40 or something, all told. If you wanted to worry about this, the time to do so was months ago. Or at least have the common decency to go talk about it in the umpteen other threads with the same gist rather than starting a new one.

Rolling out a new voting system is not done in weeks. Heck, doing it in 6 months is a miracle. These BoE folks, on par (surely there are exceptions) are just patronage-job clock watchers, so don't expect them to be particularly competant. Especially since even deciding what voting system to use in the first place takes at least 3 months, if things are running smoothly, and in Ohio (and most other places) things are definitely not running smoothly.

As far as organizing an exit poll, that takes at least a month. Building a nationwide organization to do poll watching, registration auditing, voter protection, and exit polling nationwide, that'll take at least a year. Which is why, if you are really worried about 2006, you should be much more worried if you haven't heard about a local volunteer organization for doing so yet.

I haven't. I'm worried. And heck, I'm in deep blue MA.

This isn't something you forget about for an entire year and expect progress to be made come election time. It's something you have to get off your butt and keep being involved. Community action is the only real avenue for hope.

As far as Hackett goes, though, the Hackett campaign is fully aware of what went on in Ohio in Nov 2004, and has already expressed their concern and is doing something (what exactly hasn't been reported) to put a finger in the dike.

[iconoclastNYC]

1. What do you think your post accomplishes?

Why don't you post what you think we should be discussing and allow other members the same freedom.

[skids]

2. I did.

What do you think your reply accomplishes? It doesn't address any of the issues I raise in my post, that's for sure.

[Guaranteed]

3. Oh yeah?

Well what does THIS post accomplish?

:P

[skids]

4. Hopefully...

...my last reply encourages people to talk about organizing for election protection activities for 2006. Or the realities versus the fantasies as to how many states will have reformed their systems by 2006.

[Guaranteed]

6. No, I meant MY post. nt

[kansasblue]

5. "fully aware" ?

"As far as Hackett goes, though, the Hackett campaign is fully aware of what went on in Ohio in Nov 2004, and has already expressed their concern and is doing something (what exactly hasn't been reported) to put a finger in the dike."


Can you back that statement up with a link, skids ?

Thanks!

[skids]

7. Hold on, digging...

...one of Hackett's campaign heavyweights has read "What Went Wrong in Ohio" and expressed his concerns to bloggers. Link when I find it.

(EDIT: here ya go: http://dailykos.com/story/2005/7/31/145449/155)

[kansasblue]

9. That would be good if some one close to him

was aware. The Conyers report would be good to.

Thanks!

[kansasblue]

10. nice link, skids! I think I'm going to run a post on that since

there is lots of concern today at DU.

[loudsue]

8. I agree 100%, skids:

It's not like we haven't been trying to build a fire under people for the past 4 years on this board. Our vote is THE key to every single issue we discuss on this board, and the day before an election is a pretty stooooopid hour to be discussing what they might do to prevent another fiasco. It frustrates the hell out of me. Fiascos at election time are going to CONTINUE to happen with this mentality.

Clean elections are things that are going to take boots on the ground, day after day, for YEARS to get this mess straightened out. Consistent work and activism are required.

Hell....all that work and stress, and facing the corruption, is partly what killed Andy. He had given so much of himself, there wasn't much left to fight off the invasion of the cancer body-snatchers.

If Andy had had ALL of us -- the entire activist army -- working with him, day after day, phone call after phone call, car/plane trip after trip, he would have had more strength.

It takes an army to save a country. Not a last-minute, last-ditch effort the week before an election to try to correct things as far as the voting machines are concerned.

Thank you for your post...I fully understand, and share, your frustration.

:kick::kick::kick: